Walks: Mon. May 30 & Wed. June 1

A short break at the rocks

Toad trainees, your schedule for Monday and Wednesday is 8K (with 8 hills; we need to do those hills) and 6K. Non-Toads, come out and do what you can or what you desire.

The heat is on for real now, so please underdress and bring water. This might be the time to add ice. An easy way to do this is to freeze your half-full water bottle then top up with water before your walk. But don't try with a metal bottle, as it can get bent or punctured (as I learned to my drippy chagrin last year).

See you 7ish.

Walk: Sat. May 28 @ Tim's (NOTE TIME CHANGE)

Whoo: 31 walkers turned out last Saturday!

Please note: To beat the heat, we're graduating to summer hours with a 7:30 am start on Saturday. As the summer heats up, we might move it a half hour earlier in a few weeks, but this should ease us into it.

Bob is creating a schedule for the back-to-back races, which we'll post soon. It will be in Excel, which will make it easier to prepare schedules in future. For now, the training distance for Saturday is 11K – though, as always, you do what suits you best. I'll canvas for distances before we set out.

Update from the Toad organizers, thanks to Dawn, on the training walk in July:

Run/walk starts at (9:00 a.m.) Park opens at 8:00 a.m. and you pay $12.00 per person at the gate.  We require ahead of time a list of people in your group that will be attending and you can bring others that are not registered for the Toad as long as the pay the entrance fee. 

See you, bright eyed and bushy tailed, at 7:30 on Saturday!

Walk: Wed. May 25 at Shopper's

Oldy but goody: Sporting Life 10K, including 1st-timers Denise & Alisa

Whoa! I'm really behind this week. However, thanks to my daughter's move, I have once again become adept at using an Ikea allen wrench over the past few days... not that I'm volunteering to do any more. Can we call it cross-training?

Let us know if you're coming out tonight. I had too much on my plate this weekend to redo the training schedule, but I think 8K should do us.

Happy birthday, Maria. I have a vest for you that is on its way to becoming antique. Hope we can get it to you soon!

Walks: Sat. May 21 @ Tim's & Victoria Day

Night market, Taichung, Taiwan: Scooter!*

Down to the basics: This Saturday, let's join the Toronto Women's Half racers for their 8K taper walk.

On Monday, if there's a wish for it, we can have a morning walk rather than an evening. Shall we say Tim's at 9 am? If you'd prefer to have company for a Monday evening walk, say so in the comments.

It has been suggested that we defer our group breakfast until after the long weekend, and after the next half marathon. Sound good? Please let us know if you're interested in joining a group breakfast, so Bob can arrange a table. We're hoping for The Tulip.

I close with this link to an article on the astonishing benefits of walking. Some you knew, and some might surprise you. We're doing a good thing out there, folks!

 *Please send me your pictures, or you'll be stuck with the 650 photos from my trip to Taiwan. 

Walks: Mon. May 16 & Wed. May 18

We mist you!

Congratulations to all the finishers in both of today's races. It looks like you dodged the rain! Great times, and now you can take it easy. For a couple of days, at least.

This week, our Toronto Women's Half racers have 8K and 13K on the schedule – although we've unofficially changed all weeknight walks over 10K to 10K, you can do whatever distance you feel best prepares you. The rest of us, come out and keep them company.

Now, here's what I propose for us kooks who have accepted Lee Scott's Wow Powerwalking ultra-challenge this fall. Many want to do the 25K warm-up walk For the Toad – which you won't do at race pace, just for endurance. So:

As that's 9 weeks away, in July, let's begin a half-marathon training schedule to prepare you for the walk. Immediately after, we'll begin another 9-week half marathon schedule for the K-W Half, followed by the Run (AKA Walk) for the Toad.

For an idea of what that will mean over the next weeks, have a look at the black distances in the schedule currently posted. You can see the count-down weeks in brackets in the left column; start at Week 9. If that makes sense, we'll post a training schedule. We will all be in great shape!

walks - Saturday 14th May

Last day of Lee's training - the LUNGES.........

I believe both Mississauga and Goodlife half marathons happen this weekend- good luck to you all.    I'll keep the fingers crossed for the sun to shine on you all.

For the other Toronto halfers at the end of May, your distance is 18k on Saturday.  And the non-racers may do whatever distance they wish.

As usual, the start time from Tim's will be 8.00.   Have a great weekend, everyone.  

P.S. doing this blog thing is stressful - at least, trying to remember how to put a photo in i!!   Thank you for always doing them, Helen - and welcome back.

Walks - Monday 9th and wednesday 11th May

Your technologically inept stand in for Helen took AGES to figure out how to get this photo of four of the Sporting Life walk a week ago.   Nice medals, and the rain held off.

this coming week the Mississauge half people are slated to do 10k and 6k.   The Toronto Halfers are doing 10k on both days.   And, as usual, the rest of our group can do whatever they wish to do!!   But polease sign in to let others know your thoughts.

That's it for now, folks.   Hopefully I'll remember how to do this again in a few days.....

Walk: Sat. May 7 @ Tim's

At a secret destination, somewhere in Toronto. [wink wink]

Hot Docs is making me lose track of the days! Here's a quick one for Saturday: it's 16K for the Toronto Women's Half; 8K for the tapering Mississauga and Toronto International Half. Don't be daunted by those distances – come out and walk your own walk.

It's our last class with Wow, so we'll be doing a one-mile test. Try to recall what your first result was. We'd discussed the option for a celebratory brunch afterwards, but it seems like most people would be happy to postpone it. Jeanny, if you're reading this: you still have to send me your email address!

Happy Birthday, Janet V! Hope the sun shines on you (and all of us), but not too hard until we finish our class. And Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Take it easy!

Next week, I'll be in Taiwan (on a whirlwind business trip), so I'll need my back-up bloggers to handle an assist... please and thanks.

Walks: Mon. May 2 and Wed. May 4

Our Wow class. Tee-ed off by intervals, as you can see by what we're holding.

Mississauga Half racers have 10K & 10K this week; Toronto Women's Half, 8K & 10K. The rest of us mortals can please ourselves, starting at 7 pm from Loblaws.

In between those dates, on May 22nd, Rainer reminds us of the new Whitby Half Marathon – I'm assuming you're doing it, Rainer? – which also has 10K & 5K events. They have a walking category, but will need more than 12 walking participants to retain it with separate timing. If we don't have time to prepare for the race this year, then let's put Whitby on our radar for next spring, for people looking for a late May event. It's always good to switch things up, and Whitby is nearby.

Rainer wonders if anyone is interested in doing the Alfie Shrubb this year? It's June 5th. They've added a 5K event in addition to the 8K Classic. It doesn't look like they have a walkers' category, but they do have new mid-pack prizes for both events.

Happy Birthday, Cynthia! Wow, you got a federal election for your birthday. I hope you get the government you want – and a lovely day, besides.

Remember to vote today, everyone! I don't care who you vote for (okay, I do, but that's not the point), just vote! It's a freedom that people in some other countries would die for.